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MIDLAND DISTRICT OFFICE

Martins Bank 1928+

 

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Martins Bank moves into the City of Birmingham in 1935, and opens up for business at 98 Colmore Row on 1st March. The Bank then sets about opening the many and varied branches that will form a Midland District of the Bank.  Work on he new district begins in 1950 and in 1952 this advertisement announces that a Board of Local Directors has been appointed.

 

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Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections

Until now this imposing building on Colmore Row has served only as “Birmingham Branch”, but once the Midland District of the Bank is formally created with the appointment of Mr J A Naisbitt as District General Manager, the paraphernalia of District Office departments begins to fill its rooms.  Distict Offices really don’t come much more imposing than these magnificent premises, the overall look of the building, not least the number of floors – seven at least – reminds us very much of the Bank’s Head Office Building in Liverpool.  The Midland District is indeed widespread - reaching East into Lincolnshire, and as far south as Banbury in Oxfordshire.  Some boundary changes do occur before the merger with Barclays, whose structure of “Local Head Offices” allows them to cherry pick the best of Martins’ District Offices, using some of them in place of its own premises, and closing the rest.

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Local recruitment…

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This advertisement is from a 1961 recruitment camapign. It has been designed to appeal to young ladies who would like a career in banking.  It comes in two versions, one for London and the South of England, and one for the Midlands.  The ad does its best to disguise the fact that back-office clerical work at this time is extremely boring and repetitive, but as we have seen elsewhere in the Online Archive, the sense of family and the availablility of a wide range of social activities, coupled with work in a clean an dry environment goes a long way to making up for work itself! Note the generic wording at the end of the ad, inviting applications to Midland District Office. Remember also, that at this time newspapers and magazines are the only way of advertising for people to join the staff of the Bank. We do not know if the young lady actually does work for Martins – perhaps she has been provided by an agency. The Midland District experiences “a little local difficulty” when the Bank chooses to use images of models instead of staff at the opening of LEICESTER DRIVE-IN BRANCH, and the staff were NOT impressed!

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Nicest People, Martins 1961-62 v1

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Image © Barclays Ref: 0025-0251

Dinner with the family…

 

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1950 Midland District Dinner 18 November - Iris Brooks MBA

1950

1961

1950 Midland District Dinner 18 November - Iris Brooks MBA

1965

1968

Midland District Dinner

1969

 

Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections

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Midland DinnerThe family atmosphere engendered by Martins Bank is never more apparent that at the many district dinners organised for the staff over the years.  We are pleased to have these three examples (above) of menu cards that are issued to those attending these events. They serve as an invitation to the Staff Dinners that are taking place on 18 November 1950,  25 February 1961, 27 February 1965, 24 February 1968 and 22 February 1969, when for some reason, the front cover is used to show the new 5 pence piece which began circulating alongside its pre-decimal counterpart the Shilling, in 1968. DECIMALISATION of the UK’s Currency will be completed in 1971.  This photograph shows the sheer number of staff attending the first of these extremely popular annual get-togethers.  In our Staff Gallery Below, the staff job titles are quoted as they appear in Martins Bank Magazine.  Sometimes a staff member will appear more than once depending on the number of appointments they held.  As even Martins Bank Magazine is known to have made one or two small errors now and again, if you see any details that you know to be wrong, please contact us with the reason, as this will help us to tell the story as acurately as we can.  End dates for a person’s role are given where known.  The word “onwards” indicates a role held until at least the date of the merger with Barclays…

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1962 Alderman Colonel Philip Lloyd Board Member MBM-Wi62P05.jpg

Colonel PH Jones MC  TD DL

Board Member

1951

The Rt Hon Lord Cromwell

Board Member 1953

Alderman Col.

Philip Lloyd

Board Member 1962

Mr J F Mallabar FCA

Board Member

1964

 

 

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DISTRICT OFFICE – GENERAL STAFF

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1967 Miss JM Green MBM-Au67P39.jpg

1968 Mr P R Thompson Mid D O Staff MBM-Su68P43.jpg

1969 Mr D H Casson MDO Staff MBM-Sp69P16.jpg

1969 Mr R G Marshall MDO Staff MBM-Sp69P48.jpg

Miss J M Green

MDO Staff

1967

Mr P R Thompson

MDO Staff

1968

Mr D H Casson

MDO Staff

1969

Mr R G Marshall

MDO Staff

1969

 

DISTRICT GENERAL MANAGER’S DEPARTMENT

1959 Mr D C Bardsley Midland District General Manager MBM-Au59P06.jpg

1961 Mr R J Lees Midland Assistant District General Manager MBM-Su61P38.jpg

1961 Mr W E Turnbull Midland District General Manager MBM-Su61P38.jpg

1963 Mr R P Gordon Assistant Midland District Manager MBM-Wi63P05.jpg

1966 Mr GW Parkinson Midland Assistant District Manager MBM-Sp66P04.jpg

Mr N N Jobling

Midland DGM

1954 to 1959

Mr D C Bardsley

Midland D G M

1959 to 1961

Mr R J Lees

Midland Asst. DGM

1961 to 1963

Mr W E Turnbull

Midland DGM

1961 to 1968

Mr R P Gordon

Midland Asst. DGM

1963 to 1966

Mr G W Parkinson

Midland Asst. DGM

1966 onwards

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1968 M Hollway Midlland District General Manager MBM-Su68P12.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Mr M Hollway

Midland DGM

1968 onwards

 

 

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INSPECTORS

1961 Mr R W A Burns Inspector MBM-Wi61P45.jpg

1963 Mr A Buckler Inspector MBM-Au63P49.jpg

1963 Mr G S Gallagher Inspector MBM-Su63P46.jpg

1963 Mr V R Norton Inspector.jpg

1965 Mr MD Ellison Inspector Midland Distrrict Office MBM-Su65P06.jpg

1966 Mr F Morlidge Inspector Midland DO MBM-Au66P02.jpg

Mr R W A Burns

Inspector

1961

Mr A Buckler

Inspector

1963

Mr G S Gallagher

Inspector

1963

Mr V R Norton

Inspector

1963

Mr M D Ellison

Inspector

1965

Mr F Morlidge

Inspector

1966

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1966 Mr T Shield Inspector MDO MBM-Au66P05.jpg

1968 Mr R Goldby Inspector MBM-Su68P13.jpg

Mr T Shield

Inspector

1966

Mr R Goldby

Inspector

1968

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SUPERINTENDENT OF BRANCHES

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PREMISES DEPARTMENT

1951 Mr R J Lees Superintendent MBM-Sp52P24.jpg

1961 Mr D W Hall Midland District Superintendent of Branches MBM-Wi61P45.jpg

1965 Mr GW Parkinson Midland District Superintendent of Branches MBM-Su65P03.jpg

1966 Mr A Taylor Midland District Superintendent of Branches MBM-Su66P03.jpg

 

Mr R J Lees

Superintendent of Branches

1951 to 1961

Mr D W Hall

Superintendent of Branches

1961 to 1965

Mr G W Parkinson

Superintendent of Branches

1965 to 1966

Mr A Taylor

Superintendent of Branches

1966 onwards

Mr F Thompson

Pro then Asst Manager

1965, 1967 onwards

 

Title:

Address:

Index Number and District:

Telephone Number:

District General Manager:

Assistant District General Manager:

Martins Bank Limited Midland District Office

98 Colmore Row Birmingham 3

584 Midland

021 236 9867

Mr M Hollway (1968)

Mr G W Parkinson

 

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1935

1950

1952

15 December 1969

15 September 1986

98 Colmore Row is opened as a Branch by Martins Bank Limited

Midland district Office Established

Midland District Board Appointed

Barclays Bank Limited

Closed

M


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